Demountable wheel



Nov. 15, 1927.

A. C. HYNAN DEMOUNTABLE WHEEL Filed May 27, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 15, 1927. 1,649,349

A. c. HYNAN DEMOUNTABLE WHEEL Filed May 27, 1924 2 Sheets$heet 2 JnVenZor stem.

Patented Nov. 15, 1927.

UNITED STA TES" ARTHUR C. I'IYNAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DEMOUNTABLE WHEEL.

Application filed. May 27,

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved construction for demountable wheels adapted to permit of the quick separation of a wheel from its hub by the re'- lease of a single holding device and also permitting of ready replacement of the wheel by a single movement without the subsequent adjustment of holding. or locking means. It consist-s of certain features and elements of construction herein shown and described, as indicated in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an axial sectional view of a disk wheel of a type suitable for automo biles and embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a detail section taken similarly to Figure 1, but on a larger scale and showing the wheel-locking device in partly engaged position.

Figure 3 is a detail section taken as indi cated at line 33, on Figure 2, showing the locking jaw in closed position, but unlocked, ready for engagement.

Figure 4 is a' detail section taken as indicated at line 4 -4, on Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an axial section showing a modified form of the invention as applied to a car wheel journaled upon a fixed axle.

Figure 6 is a detail section takenas indicated at line 6-6, on Figure 5.

I Figure 7 is an axial section showing the locking jaws closed but ready to receive the Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4, it will be seen that the Wheel is illustrated as'of the disk type, comprising a disk portion, 1, and a rim portion, 2, to receive the usual pneumatic tire. ,The wheel itself is separable from the hub, 3, but when attached thereto in operative position itis rotatively engaged with the hub by means of a series of apertures, 4, which fit the driving studs, 5, carried by the flange, 6,01 the hub, 23. In the) common form of disk wheel, now in use. the disk, 1, is, actually attached to the flange, 6, by means of nuts, 7 on the driving studs, 5, and I have illustrated my invention as specially constructed for use with hubs and hub flanges thus equipped. To adapt such hubs to cooperate with the special wheel of my invention, a bell-shaped shell, 8, is clamped to the hub flange, 6, by means of the nuts, 7, and this shell carries a central stem,- 9, which is one element of the locking device by which my wheel is held in operative relation to the hub. In my whee-l disk 1, the

I pressed together, as by means of springs, 22,

I formed with cam surfaces, 25,. A plate, 26,

' the apertures, 31, act upon the cam surfaces,

8 of locking position.

1924. Serial No. 716,187.

apertures, 4, are made large enough to fit snugly over the nuts, 7 for driving the wheel disk with the hub.

The central portion of the disk, 1, is drawn into deep cup or housing, 10, in which is secured a cylindrical base block, 11, by which the locking jaws, 12, are carried. As indicated in Fig, 3, the block, 11, has a 'diametrical channel 13, which is undercut so that its overhanging edges, 14, retain the enlarged ends, 15, of the jaws, 12. These end 7 portions are rounded at 16 for rocking in the channel, 13, when the jaws, 12, are spread open.

The .stem, 9, is formed with transaxial grooves, 17 and 18, and the jaw members, 12, have ribs or projections, 20, 21, adapted to fit said grooves when the jaws, 12, are

pocketed in the base, 11, under the parts, 15, of the jaw members. The end portion of the stem 9, is tapered and, in fact, spherically rounded at 23, to facilitate entry of the stem between the jaws.

Thejaw portions, 12, are connected to their rocking heads, 15, by reduced stems, 24, and the inner faces of these stems are is mountedfor axial movement of the shell, 5

10, being guided by arms, 27, extending through the base block 11, and connected by a yoke,-28, at the outer side of the block. The shell, 10, is shown with a reduced'hollow portion, 29, to accommodate the yoke, 28, in its movement and a spring, 30, is disposed between the yoke and they block, 11, for holding the plate, 26, normally at the outer limit of its range of travel. Said plate, 26, is apertured at 31 to accommodate the stems, 24, of the jaw members and as the plate is thrust inwardly toward the head of the stem, 9, as by pressure of a stud, 32,. carried by a tool, 33, as shown in Figure 1, the edges of 25, to spread the jaws open and release them from the grooved stem, 9. At the limit of its inthrust position the plate, 26, is then caught by engagement with the shoulders, 34, of stems, 24, so that after the wheel has been removed from its hub the jaws, 12, are allowed to close, but the plate, 26, is held out When the rounded head, 23,, of the stem, 9, is again entered be tween the jaws, as seen in Figure 2, they are yieldingly spread apart so that when the groove, 17, of the stem arrives'in registration with the locking ribs, 20, of the jaws, the plate, 26, is released from the shoulders, 34;, and its spring, 30, carries it back to the outer limit of its movement. Thus when the stem, 9, has fully entered the jaws, the outer edges, 35, of the apertures, 31, fit snugly against the locking faces, 36, formed on the stems 24, adjacent their enlarged heads, 15, and the jaws, 12, are thus clamped, as it were, in locking position, and will remain in this position until again released by pressure upon the yoke, 28, applied through the access aperture, 38, in the shell or housing, 29. u

The tool, 33, as shown, is provided with a claw, 89, engageable with a flange or shoulder, 40, formed on the shell, 29, so that by an outward pull upon the handle of the tool, 33, the claw, 39, fulcrums upon the flange, 40, forcing the stud, 32, against the yoke, 28, for releasing the lock and simultaneously exerting a pull upon the wheel disk as a whole for removing it from the hub as soon as the locking jaws are released. If for any reason the wheel disk tends to stick to the hub after the jaws, 12, are opened, the continued pressure upon the yoke, 28, transmitted through thecentral boss, 41, of the plate, 26, will act directly against the rounded head of the stem, 9, so that the latter supports the fulcrum about which the claw, 39, of the tool acts. Thus the wheel may be taken ofi by a single operation. Its replacement is even more simple, merely involving the pushing of the wheel disk onto the bell, 8, until the apertures, fit over the nuts, 7, and the locking jaws, 12, snap into the grooves of the stem, 9.

In Figures 5, 6 and 7 I have shown a slightly modified form of the invention,-

choosing for illustration a car wheel of the type frequently employed for industrial rail cars in which the wheel hub, 50, is carried by roller bearings, 51, on a fixed axle, 52, The wheel proper includes a web, 53, and a hub shell. 5a, adapted to fit snugly upon the hub, 50. This structure is adapted to my invention by providing a locking stem, 59, upon a lock nut, 58, which is fitted and pinned to the reduced end of the axle, 52,

I and by forming the hub shell, 54, with an extending housing, 55, and closure cap, 56. The locking jaws, 62, are quite similar to the jaws, '12, previously described, except that they are notched, as shown inFigure 6, to co-operate with the toothed flange, 63, of the stem, 59, to positively prevent rotation of the jaws on the stem. It thus becomes necessary to mount the locking jaws rotatably within the shell, 55, and this is done by providing an annular ball-bearing, 57, for the base block, 61, in which the jaws are fulcrumed.

In both forms of the invention I have found it of advantage to provide each of notch, 71, in the inner face thereof, so as to minimize any tendency of the jaws to weave or spring out of alignment upon encountering the end of the locking stem when the wheel is applied to the hub or at any other time under strain.

I claim 1. In combination with a wheel and a separable hub portion, a pair of springpressed jaws fulcrumed in the wheel; a transaxially recessed stem on the hub engageable by said jaws when the wheel is advanced axially onto the hub, stems connecting said jaws with their fulcrums and an axially slidable plate apertured'to accommodate said stems, cam surfaces on the stems engageable with the edges of the plate apertures for causing opening movement of the jaws upon axial movement of the plate in one direction and locking faces on the stems substantially perpendicular to the direction of opening movement of said stems and closely engageable with the edges of the plate apertures for holding the jaws clamped to the hub stem when the plate is moved in the opposite direction.

2. In the combination defined in claim 1, the wheel being formed as a disk with a fixed central housing in which a base block for the jaws is permanently mounted and the hub including a transaxial flange together with mutually engageable features by which the wheel and hub fiange'are connected for rotation together when the look ing jaws are entered over the stem.

3. In the combination defined in claim 1, a base block in which the jaws are fulcrumed rotatably mounted in a hub shell of the wheel and retained therein by ball bearings and the said stem being fixedly mounted on theend of a fixed axle upon which the wheel hub itself is mounted for rotation, said stem having a toothed sur face and the jaws having co-operating teeth to engage it for preventing relative rotation of the jaws and stem when locked together.

a. In thecornbination defined in claim 1, a spring normally holding the plate in locking position, said plate being accessible through an aperture in the wheel for axial movement to release position, yielding means tending to close the jaws independently of the plate, and stop shoulders on the stems of the jaws positioned to prevent return of the plate to locking position when the jaws are closed.

5. In the combination defined in claim 1, a spring normally holding the plate in locking position, said plate being accessible through an aperture in the wheel for axial movement to release position, yielding movement serving to means tending to close the jaws independently of the plate, and stop. shoulders on the stems of the jaws positioned to prevent return of the plate to locking position when the jaws are closed, the hub stem being ta pered to initially open the jaws when the wheel is applied to the hub, such opening release the locking plate and permit it to return to locking position.

6. In combination with a wheel and a separable hub portion, a pair of spring pressed jaws fulcrumed in the wheel, the hub having a recessed portion engageabl-eby said 'aws when the wheel is advanced axially onto the hub, stems connecting said jaws with their fulcrums, cam surfaces on said stems, an axially movable plate engaging said cam surfaces for opening the jaws upon movement of said plate in one direction, yielding means tending to return the plate in the opposite direction, and stop shoulders on the stems positioned to oppose such return movement of the plate.

7 In combination with a wheel and a separable hub portion, a pair of springpressed jaws fulcrumed in the wheel the hub having anoutwardly taper-ed part peripherally recessed for engagement by said jaws and adapted to spread the jaws when the wheel is advanced axially onto the hub, stems connecting said jaws with their fulcrums, cam surfaces on said stems, an axially movable plate engaging said cam surfaces for opening the jaws upon movement of said plate in one direction, yielding means tending to return the plate in the opposite direction, and stop shoulders on the stems positioned to oppose such return movement of the plate, said stop shoulders releasing the plate when the jaws are spread apirt by entrance of the tapered part on the hu 8. In combination with a wheel and a sep arable hub portion, radially movable jaws carried by the wheel, the hub having a recessed portion engageable by said jaws, yielding means urging the jaws into hubengaging position, a locking plate mounted' in the wheel and held yieldingly in position to prevent opening of the jaws, but axially I movable away from such locking position, yielding means tending to return the plate to locking position, and stop shoulders associated with the jaws positioned to oppose such return movement of the plate.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois this 21st day of May, 1924:.

ARTHUR C. HYNAN. 

